Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was just 18 when he painted this picture, but he already showed an interest in portraiture—and caricature, echoing the self-mockery of his self-portraits. Born into one of France’s old noble families—he was the direct descendant of the counts of Toulouse—Henri grew up between Albi, the Château du Bosc in Aveyron, and the Château de Céleyran near Narbonne. There is no certainty about the model’s identity, but some reference works on the painter say it could be a little boy nicknamed Petit Pierre. This boy was probably the child of one of the villagers or farmers the artist knew.

Our portrait technique is classic. So is the palette, whose colors are found in the background as well as the motif, more sketchy than finished. Lautrec focused more on portraying the model’s psychology than creating a physical likeness, capturing the temperament behind his appearance without making a judgment. Another portrait, La Comtesse A. de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Étude de nu. Femme assise sur un divan (Study of a Nude. Woman Sitting on a Couch) are from the same year, 1882. Henri joined the studio of René Princeteau, a friend of his father famous for his equestrian paintings, and in 1883 studied with Fernand Cormon in Paris, where he became friends with Louis Anquetin, Émile Bernard, and Vincent Van Gogh, and explored Montmartre. In April-May 1903, our painting was featured in the show devoted to the artist by the Barthélémy Gallery in Paris.

FURNITURE AND DECORATIVE ARTS

Friday 12 May 2023 – 14:30 (CEST) – Live